PV Sindhu Named IOA Athletes' Commission Chairperson, Harmanpreet Singh Appointed Deputy
India’s sporting stars PV Sindhu and Harmanpreet Singh have taken up key leadership roles in the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), with the two-time Olympic medallists named chairperson and vice-chairperson, respectively, of its Athletes’ Commission.
Star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and swimmer Sajan Prakash have also been elected unopposed as athlete representatives to the IOA General Body, giving four prominent Indian sportspersons important roles in the country’s Olympic administration.
The appointments were announced on Friday by Returning Officer Sanjay K Srivastava after all four candidates emerged as the sole nominees for their respective positions. With no challengers in the fray, elections scheduled for November 7 were rendered unnecessary.
Sindhu, India’s two-time Olympic medallist in badminton, and Harmanpreet, captain of the Indian men’s hockey team and a two-time Olympic medallist, will serve as chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Athletes’ Commission for the 2026-2030 term.
Both will also become members of the IOA Executive Council, which will be constituted following the national Olympic body’s elections on December 5.
Chanu and Prakash will represent athletes in the IOA General Body. Their positions carry voting rights in the December 5 elections, giving them a role in the process of determining the leadership of the national Olympic body.
The four appointments follow the unopposed election of 10 sportspersons to the IOA Athletes’ Commission on November 3. The commission comprises five male and five female athletes. Former track and field athlete Sudha Singh withdrew from the contest, leaving exactly 10 candidates for the 10 available positions.
The commission will also include Shiva Keshavan, a Winter Olympian, and shooter Rajeshwari Kumari as ex-officio members, as both represent India in the Olympic Council of Asia’s Athletes’ Commission.
Other members include women’s hockey captain Salima Tete, shooter Swapnil Kusale, fencer Bhavani Devi, shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, former archer Bombayla Devi and kayaker-canoeist Manjeet Singh.
Sindhu, Chanu and Bhavani Devi were also members of the previous Athletes’ Commission, which was headed by celebrated boxer MC Mary Kom.
The IOA’s rules require gender representation in the commission’s top leadership, with the chairperson and vice-chairperson positions going to one male and one female athlete. The same requirement applies to the two athlete representatives in the General Body.